Monday: Ian Dowty, Legal Talk

Ian Dowty is a criminal barrister and former home educating parent. For the first hour Ian answered questions, then went through slides in the afternoon session. Criminal law relates to sections 437 - 443 of the Education Act 1996 and deal with investigation and enforcement. Ultimately a parent can be prosecuted for failing to comply with a School Attendance Order. Criminal law is a different branch of law from family law (a disagreement between parents which goes to the family court).

When asked about the biggest likely threat to home education freedoms - excluding the new Guidance for Wales - Ian pointed to recent Government statements about radicalisation/potential terrorist activity and monitoring the whereabouts of children taken out of school. Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 (Ofsted recommendation monitor children taken out of schools)

See also notes on Ian's 2014 Hesfes talk for more detail about the slides. There was a discussion of what constitutes 'case law' for home education, whether the home education guidelines were statutory, and the relevance of Phillips vs Brown (Donaldson) (My views are set out herehere and here)

Tuesday: Alan Thomas and Harriet Pattison: Learning to Read

Alan and Harriet are based at the Institute of Education. Harriet is also a home educating parent. Different approaches to learning especially learning to read. For more information, see Harriet's PhD on what happens if children are not taught to read. Extract: "I took two Open University courses on child development and learning.
Little that I studied resonated with my experiences at home. By now our other
daughter was reading too. But our son wasn’t. He continued not to read in any
recognisable way until he was nine, but he had a definite relationship with literacy; he
could use it in specific ways and situations although I didn’t believe that he could
‘read’. Nothing was revealing itself to me; instead the questions only seemed to
multiply and deepen. By the time I had spent the best part of a decade as a
participant observer in children’s autonomous paths to literacy I did not feel that the
mystery could be resolved by observation. My instinct, and the instinct that fired this
research, was to go and talk to others who had also watched children learn to read
by themselves..."

Wednesday: Home Educating 3 or More Children

With Jill Ingle and Angela Horn. Home educating 3 or more children, how does it work in practice and how different is it from home educating a singleton? This workshop provided a chance for the audience to ask questions, discuss concerns and share stories. Topics included evolving ideas about childhood and early learning, doing the laundry on a large scale, choosing the right car, how the housework gets done, encouraging children to be independent and travel independently, the importance of children having their own space (not necessarily their own room) and parents acknowledging there will have to be compromises.

Friday: Special Educational Needs

With Lizzie from Wales. Special Educational Needs in England and Wales. My SEN website (England only) is here.

In England statements are being replaced by Education Health Care Plans although the two systems will run alongside each other until 2018 More Special Needs Jungle EHCP Getting Started (requesting assessment etc) and EHCP Top Tips. When applying for an EHCP from scratch, be aware of the 'graduated approach' in the new SEND Code of Practice. Ipsea was mentioned as helpful (website, helpline, factsheets).

In Wales, the Government has announced new changes to the system for Additional Learning Needs More.

Local authorities ONLY have to provide what is in the statement if the child is 'educated otherwise than at school' arranged by the local authority, NOT for elective home education. (Where a child is refusing to go to school, a home tutor will only be available if the child is still on roll or if the parent has applied for a place but the council concedes there is nowhere suitable, NOT if the parent deregisters. This is usually seen by the LA as a short term solution.) MoreMore (See what LAs said here) Some families where children have disabilities manage to get support through children's social care (not necessary to have an EHCP) Read more from Contact-a-Family Personal
Budgets and Direct Payments are theoretically possible for education (via the statement or EHCP More) or for social care. The National Autistic Society has an overview of Community Care provision here Disability Living Allowance can be claimed for care and mobility needs (not just where a child is physically unable to walk, but also where a much greater level of supervision is required. More Cerebra has a very useful guide to completing the DLA form where a child has a neurological condition.

A statement or EHCP can be useful insurance, acting as a passport to various benefits and support including special arrangements in exams and help in college/6th form (examples were provided of the support package available at college with a statement/EHCP) NB Changes to the benefit system will affect families with disabled children More. Information about deregistration from school where a child has a statement of SEN: England. Wales. The Annual Review should NOT be an inspection of provision More

Geoff Coleman gave a second briefing on the Care Act, see Sunday's notes for more details.